Itching All Over

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by bill barber

The sudden outbreak of bumps and scales on the body is an unwelcome development, it alters, irritates and reneges on the natural look and feel of one’s skin. The disorder often triggered by physical exposure to materials or elements that affect the skin condition, due to one or more familiar instances, including reactions to costume jewellery containing nickel, certain foods and excessive hand washing among others.

Skin distressed by atopic dermatitis turns itchy and inflammation takes toll, appears red, swollen, cracked and might crust or weep. Patches of atopic dermatitis may show on different parts of the body, but does not spread to other people, it is at its most active during childhood and flares up on and off throughout an individuals lifetime.

Common categories of rash are scaly patches generated by fungal or bacterial infection, scaly patches of skin not caused by infection turn red, itchy or patches appear all over the body. Scaly itchy patches often epitomize one of the conditions called eczema – emanating from hereditary problems relating to the skin.

Atopic dermatitis usually worsens when the dry winter chills bite and irritation kicks in as a clear sign of stress. Atopic ailments are hereditary and may be linked to allergies, their line of influence includes asthma, hay fever and atopic and atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis affects minors and adults in different ways, during childhood the skin disorder runs riot as scaly patches on the scalp, arms, legs, torso, knees or elbows and as chapped cheeks, while adults contend with attacks on the hands, eyelids, genitals and the rest of the body.

Relief by treatment is administered using irritation combating prescriptions like steroids (cortisone creams), while non-steroids creams (tacrolimus, “protopic” + pimecrolimus “elidel”) fell out of favor for toxicity and efficacy reasons. The use of Burow’s solution is helpful in dehydrating the dripping stages of atopic dermatitis and is a non-prescription medication.

Avoiding the allergen is by far the greatest remedy for contact dermatitis (saliva from lip licking, solvents or water on hands). Eczema is characterized by an itchy red rash usually starting on the cheeks, and commonly entails the folds on the elbows, on the back of the knees or ears. In the advanced stages, it manifests as an itchy red, raw rash engulfing the whole body.

The tendency to scratch only serves to spread the rash and might result in the dripping formation of crusts. Other scaly rashes are psoriasis – a hereditary condition affecting elbows, knees and elsewhere; pityariasis rosea – affects teens and young adults (chest and back) and xerosis – dry winter rashes.

more posts of interest:

• Skin Allergies And Rashes
• What Are The Common Forms Of Dermatitis Skin Problems?
• What Causes Contact Dermatitis?
• Natural And Herbal Remedies For Acne And Skin Conditions
• Quick Health Tips – Skin Diseases Causes And Remedies

by Chema Mnguez

Some forms of eczema are better known as dermatitis.Dermatitis comes in many varieties each with it’s own name and characteristics.

The better known ones are:

1. Seborrheic dermatitis

2. Contact dermatitis

3. Photo dermatitis

4. Atopic dermatitis

5. Infantile eczema

6. Hand dermatitis

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Most of the time eczema occurs for no known reason but could result from an allergy. Usually Atopic dermatitis appears as dull red, scaly patches of thickened skin covered with bloody crusts, from scratching. It is generally an inflammation of the skin where itching or blisters appear. Treatments aimed in preventing itching work for a short time until it heals.

Types of eczema are:

Atopic eczema -common in babies,an itchy rash usually starts on face clearing as child becomes older.

Nummular eczema-common in adults, circular itchy, scaling patches anywhere on skin.

Hand eczema- usually reaction to outside irritants , itchy blisters.

Stasis dermatitis- occurs in people with varicose veins skin becomes irritated, inflamed, and discolored.

Seborrheic dermatitis sometimes mistaken for dandruff.

Babies get seborrheic dermatitis called cradle cap. Its starts as dry scales that appear on the scalp. It eventually turns to yellow, greasy, and scaly patches on scalp that extend over eyebrows and sometimes behind ears. When babies have seborrheic dermatitis on their face it appears as small red patches and pimples that become redder as the baby cries.

In adults seborrheic dermatitis appears in body creases and become red, flaky, and itchy. They appear in sides of nose, groin, armpits, under breasts, and corners of mouth.

Dermatologists often treat seborrheic dermatitis with antiseborrheic shampoos when it is located on scalp. Tar medications and cortisone creams on other infected areas.

Hand dermatitis happens when hands are exposed to an irritant. Hands become dry, rough, and reddened. Knuckles may thicken, crack or flake, and become very itchy.Usually removal of irritant along with moisturizers and cortisone creams cure up the outbreak quickly.

Irritant eczema is common in the elderly that bathe too frequently. It consists of a mild redness, flaking and small irritation usually on legs.

Dyshidrosis is where small fluid filled blisters form in palms of hands and soles of feet. They are red, itchy, scaly patches that last two to four weeks and clears by it’s self. Soaking feet and hands in Burow’s solution an antiseptic lotion.

Discoid eczema clears in several months it consists of disks of red, flaking, weeping, itchy skin on arms and legs.

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A soothing ointment should be applied and the area covered with sterile dressing to prevent scratching. Wear cotton clothes to avoid irritations. In severe cases corticosteroid ointments may be prescribed along with antibiotic drugs. antihistamine may also be given for itching. It is always important to see your doctor if infection is suspected.

Find More Dermatitis Articles

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• Eczema Treatment: Get Cautious, not Scared
• Contact Dermatitis
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• Ezcema Dermatitis
• Natural Remedies for Curing Dermatitis

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a disease which affects the skin and joints and commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Psoriasis can cause pain, itching, burning and emotional distress. It affects both sexes equally and can occur at any age, although it most commonly appears for the first time between the ages of 15 and 25.

Today more than seven million Americans suffer with psoriasis. Recent studies show that there may be an ethnic link. It seems that psoriasis is most common in Caucasians, slightly less in African Americans and far less common among Asians and Native Americans.

Psoriasis is not contagious. You can’t catch psoriasis from another person or give it to someone by touching them, and you can’t spread it to other parts of your body.

Psoriasis treatment

Today, there are many different treatments available to help control psoriasis. No single treatment works for everyone. The goal is to find a treatment that works the best with the fewest side effects. One of the first principles of psoriasis treatment is to not create anything worse than the disease.

Dermatologists often use a trial-and-error approach to finding the most appropriate psoriasis treatment. The decision to use a particular treatment is based on the type of psoriasis, its location, extent, severity, the patient’s age, gender and quality of life.

There are three basic types of treatments for psoriasis:

Topical treatment – Topical treatments agents applied to the skin are usually the first line of defense in treating psoriasis. Topicals slow down or normalize excessive cell reproduction, remove built-up scale, reduce skin turn over, and clear affected skin of plaques. Some topical agents are used in conjunction with other therapies, especially phototherapy.

Phototherapy (UVB, PUVA and lasers) involves exposing the skin to wavelengths of ultraviolet light under medical supervision. Ultraviolet light treatment is frequently combined with topical or systemic treatment.

Systemic treatment – Psoriasis which is resistant to topical treatment and phototherapy is treated by agents that are taken internally by pill or injection. This is called systemic treatment. Systemic medications are prescription medications that affect the entire body, and are usually reserved for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. The treatments for extensive and severe forms of psoriasis may have long-term side effects.

Alternative Psoriasis treatments

The use of alternative psoriasis treatments are becoming more common as more and more people choose to treat their condition in more nontraditional ways.

Alternative psoriasis treatments are in most cases perfectly safe and include:

Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Manipulation Treatment , Osteopathy, Climatotherapy, Diet, Dietary Supplements, Homeopathy, Water Therapies (Balneotherapy, Heliotherapy, Phytotherapy, Thalassotherapy), Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments, Meditation and Relaxation, Herbology, Hypnosis, Moisturizing, Products, Magnets, Epsom salt, Neem oil, Fasting…

more posts of interest:

• What is Psoriasis and How to Treat it
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• Psoriasis Treatment: Understanding Your Options
• What Causes Psoriasis?
• Psoriasis: Treatment According to Symptoms Types

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a noncontagious, skin disease that has been diagnosed in 4.5 million adults in the United States. About 10 percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints.

No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis, but it is believed to be an auto immune disorder that also has a genetic component. The majority of researchers agree that the immune system is somehow triggered, which speeds up the growth and life cycle of skin cells. Normally, a skin cell matures and falls off the body’s surface in 28 to 30 days. However, a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form the lesions.

Psoriasis occurs when faulty signals in the immune system cause skin cells to grow too quickly. Usually every three to four days instead of the usual 30-day cycle. Extra skin cells build up on the skin’s surface. They then form “plaques,” which are red, flaky and scaly patches that are often itchy and uncomfortable. Psoriasis generally appears on the joints, limbs and scalp, but it can appear anywhere on the body.

Recently, a team from the University of Michigan looked for the gene — called PSORS1 — in more than 2,700 people from 678 families in which at least one family member had psoriasis. According to the researchers, PSORS1 is the first genetic determinant of psoriasis to be definitively identified in a large clinical trial. The finding may help in the development of new, more effective treatments for the disfiguring inflammatory skin disease.

For those people who have a suppressed immune system, the symptoms of psoriasis can be extremely severe.

Dietary change can help with psoriasis, avoid alcohol, gluten which is found in wheat, barley and rye, avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, avoid red meats, dairy products, eggs, cheese and sugar and if you are a smoker, then it is best to quit.

Topical applications to the affected areas with aloe vera gel, Dead Sea mineral salts or mud, Zambesia Botanica, mahonia ointment and gotu kola can all improve psoriasis. Good supplements to take are fish oil, flax seed oil and borage oil. These oils are very good in hydrating the skin cells.

A topical treatment that has received tremendous attention is Psoriaway which is available at http://www.fastpsoriasisrelief.com.

This is a topical cream combining natural moisturizers, coal tar, aloe Vera, blended in a unique formula to make this product extremely effective. It has been tested in the medical field, nursing homes and in the retail market with exciting and immediate results.

One important bit of knowledge is to stay away from alcohol and products that contain alcohol as it will dry the skin out even more.

At this time there is no cure for psoriasis but many effective treatments do exist. Doctors are learning more about psoriasis by studying:

Genes

New treatments that help skin not react to the immune system

Lazer light treatment on thick patches.

People often need to try out different treatments before they find one that works for them.

The unpredictable nature of psoriasis makes treatment challenging for many people. A wide range of treatments are available. No single psoriasis treatment works for everyone, but something will work for most people. It is hard to predict what will work for a particular individual; however, it is important to be open-minded and willing to work with your doctor to find a treatment that will work for you.

Researchers are studying psoriasis more than ever before. They understand much more about its genetic causes and how it involves the immune system. The National Psoriasis Foundation and the federal government are promoting and funding research to find the cause and cure for psoriasis.

more posts of interest:

• A Simple Treatment To Help With Psoriasis
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• What is Psoriasis and How to Treat it
• Psoriasis: Symptoms and treatment – Part 1
• Common Psoriasis Treatments

Once there was an avocado farm in Australia that had a shop and market at the roadside. Along with the usual nick-knacks for tourists, there were these small glass containers with avocado oil. I never heard of avocado oil before, have you?

Of course there were for sale, after all it was a gift shop. In a small rack right beside the product were some brochures that in part claimed that this avocado oil would reduce wrinkles (I could sure use that!) and cure, right, I said cure – psoriasis.

Those of you that have psoriasis know what it is, but for those readers that don’t, here is a brief explanation. By the way, psoriasis is pronounced (suh-RI-uh-sus).

Psoriasis is a non-contagious disorder which affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes on a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp and genitals. In contrast to eczema, psoriasis is more likely to be found on the extension aspect of the joint.

The surface of the skin that has psoriasis looks like it would be extremely contagious, but as I said above, it is not. If you are unfamiliar with the condition you might think it is leprosy, but is not even close although leprosy is not contagious either.

Psoriasis can also cause inflammation of the joints, which over time is known to cause a condition known as psoriatic arthritis. Ten to fifteen percent of people with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis.

The actual cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking.

Psoriasis, like leprosy, although the two conditions are not connected in any way as to what is the cause, is probably one of the longest known illnesses of humans and simultaneously one of the most misunderstood. Some scholars believe psoriasis to have been included among the skin conditions called tzaraat in the Bible.

The cause of psoriasis is not fully understood. There are two main hypotheses about the process that occurs in the development of the disease.

The first considers psoriasis as primarily a disorder of excessive growth and reproduction of skin cells. The problem is simply seen as a fault of the epidermis (outermost layer of the skin) and its keratinocytes. The keratinocyte is the major constituent of the epidermis, constituting 95% of the cells found there.

The second hypothesis sees the disease as being an immune-mediated disorder in which the excessive reproduction of skin cells is secondary to factors produced by the immune system.

Psoriasis vulgaris is a severe condition of psoriasis. It was recently found that a cream containing avocado and 700mg of vitamin B12 per kilogram of cream together with methyl glycoside stearate and distilled water for consistency, if applied to the affected skin area affected with psoriasis twice a day, appeared to clear up the affected areas.

Where other creams tended to peak out at various times, the vitamin B12/avocado cream did not peak, but continued to work effectively for a long-term benefit.

An additional option is the oral consumption of Fumaric Acid. Many studies have found that fumaric acid is a safe, effective and well-tolerated long-term oral therapy for psoriasis.

The recommended dosage in the past has been one 500mg tablet/capsule per day taken in the evening with a glass of water, tea or milk.

The only side effect reported is a flushing of the skin within 20-30 minutes. The flushing normally continues for only 15-20 minutes but has been know to last for a couple of hours. On rare occasions the flushing could last for a couple of hours, but medical authorities normally do not consider it a risk.

If no or only minimal effect is achieved, the dosage may be increased at the discretion of the person. Dosage may be increased in 500mg increments, waiting 1-2 weeks to evaluate the success.

When treatment success is achieved, stay at that dosage level. Consult with a medical professional as to the issue if there are any questions. The maximum dosage is 3,500 mg.daily.

more posts of interest:

• Psoriasis treatments, symptoms and prevention tips
• Who Gets Psoriasis? 4.5 Million Adults!
• 2.2% Americans Has Psoriasis!
• Understanding The Crohns Psoriasis Connection
• What is Psoriasis and How to Treat it